From UHSL to UHMLG: the evolution of a group for health librarians in higher education

In 2007 the University Health Sciences Librarians Group (UHSL) merged with the University Medical Schools Librarians Group (UMSLG) to form the University Health and Medical Librarians Group (UHMLG). This paper traces the course of health librarianship in the UK which led to this event, from the perspective of the UHSL

Reflections on a 'virtual' practice development unit: changing practice through identity development

Aims. This paper draws together the personal thoughts and critical reflections of key people involved in the establishment of a ‘virtual’ practice development unit of clinical nurse specialists in the south of England. Background. This practice development unit is ‘virtual’ in that it is not constrained by physical or specialty boundaries. It became the first group of Trust-wide clinical nurse specialists to be accredited in the UK as a practice development unit in 2004. Design and methods. The local university was asked to facilitate the accreditation process via 11 two-hour audio-recorded learning sessions. Critical reflections from practice development unit members, leaders and university staff were written 12 months after successful accreditation, and the framework of their content analysed. Findings and discussion. Practice development was seen as a way for the clinical nurse specialists to realize their potential for improving patient care by transforming care practice in a collaborative, interprofessional and evolutionary manner. The practice development unit provided a means for these nurses to analyse their role and function within the Trust. Roberts’ identity development model for nursing serves as a useful theoretical underpinning for the reflections contained in this paper. Conclusions. These narratives provide another example of nurses making the effort to shape and contribute to patient care through organizational redesign. This group of nurses began to realize that the structure of the practice development unit process provided them with the means to analyse their role and function within the organization and, as they reflected on this structure, their behaviour began to change. Relevance to clinical practice. Evidence from these reflections supports the view that practice development unit participants have secured a positive and professional identity and are, therefore, better able to improve the patient experience

The context, influences and challenges for undergraduate nurse clinical education: Continuing the dialogue

Introduction – Approaches to clinical education are highly diverse and becoming increasingly complex to sustain in complex milieu Objective – To identify the influences and challenges of providing nurse clinical education in the undergraduate setting and to illustrate emerging solutions. Method: A discursive exploration into the broad and varied body of evidence including peer reviewed and grey literature. Discussion - Internationally, enabling undergraduate clinical learning opportunities faces a range of challenges. These can be illustrated under two broad themes: (1) Legacies from the past and the inherent features of nurse education and (2) Challenges of the present, including, population changes, workforce changes, and the disconnection between the health and education sectors. Responses to these challenges are triggering the emergence of novel approaches, such as collaborative models. Conclusion(s) – Ongoing challenges in providing accessible, effective and quality clinical learning experiences are apparent

Violence and under-reporting: Learning disability nursing and the impact of environment, experience and banding

This is the authors' version of an article published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing. The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.comThe study explores the implications of a survey into the discrepancy between actual and reported incidents of violence, perpetrated by service users, within the learning disability division of one mental health NHS Trust. Violence within the NHS continues to constitute a significant issue, especially within mental health and learning disability services where incidence remains disproportionately high despite the context of zero tolerance. A whole-population survey of 411 nurses working within a variety of settings within the learning disability division of one mental health NHS Trust. A questionnaire was administered to learning disability nursing staff working in community, respite, residential, assessment and treatment and medium secure settings, yielding a response rate of approximately 40%. There were distinct differences in the levels of violence reported within specific specialist services along with variation between these areas according to clinical environment, years of experience and nursing band. The study does not support previous findings whereby unqualified nurses experienced more incidents of violence than qualified nurses. The situation was less clear, complicated by the interrelationship between years of nursing experience, nursing band and clinical environment. The conclusions suggest that the increased emphasis on reducing violent incidents has been fairly successful with staff reporting adequate preparation for responding to specific incidents and being well supported by colleagues, managers and the organisation. The differences between specific clinical environments, however, constituted a worrying finding with implications for skill mix and staff education. The study raises questions about the relationship between the qualified nurse and the individual with a learning disability in the context of violence and according to specific circumstances of care delivery. The relationship is clearly not a simple one, and this group of nurses’ understanding and expectations of tolerance requires further research; violence is clearly never acceptable, but these nurses appear reluctant to condemn and attribute culpability

Gravity Amplitudes from a Gaussian Matrix Model

We reformulate MHV scattering amplitudes in 4D gauge theory and supergravity as correlation functions of bilinear operators in a supersymmetric gaussian matrix model. The model retains the symmetries of an S(4) of radius L and the matrix variables are represented as linear operators acting on a finite-dimensional Hilbert space. Bilinear fields of the model generate a current algebra. In the large N double scaling limit where l_pl ~ L / sqrt(N) is held fixed, there is an emergent flat 4D space-time with a built in short distance cutoff.Comment: v3: 55 pages, 4 figures, clarifications adde

The future of mental health nursing: are we barking up the wrong tree?

This commentary has been prompted by a degree of disquiet among the UK mental health nursing community in response to the Shape of Caring Review on the future of nurse education in England (Willis 2015). Proposals for the structure of nurse education have been interpreted as emphasizing generic at the expense of field-specific (e.g. mental health) education, with much specialist training beyond the scope of pre-registration courses (Lintern 2014, Middleton 2015). Specifically, there is a suggestion that student nurses will not enter their specialized field until completing two years of more generalist learning; reminiscent of the previous Project 2000 approach, criticized for supposed inadequate preparation of mental health students because general adult nursing dominated curriculum and teaching (UKCC 1999)

Self-Tracking, Governmentality, and Nursing and Midwifery Council's (2016) Revalidation Policy

In April 2016 the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) introduced a new revalidation continuous professional development (CPD) policy. This policy states that revalidation is the responsibility of nurses, and although employers are urged to support the revalidation process, the NMC clearly states that employers have no legal requirement to provide either time or funds for the CPD activities of nurses and midwives (NMC, 2014, 2016; Royal College of Nursing, 2016). The aim of this professional development policy is to ensure that nurses and midwives maintain their professional competency and to promote public safety and confidence in nurses and midwives. A closer look at the process of revalidation suggests that several measures have been introduced to ensure that nurses and midwives conform to the CPD policy, and this paper examines the influence of governmentality and neoliberalism on the NMC's self-tracking revalidation policy. It will be recommended that the responsibility for the revalidation process should be shared by nurses, midwives, and their employers, and that time and money should be allocated for the professional development of nurses and midwives

Flexible working and work-life balance: Midwives’ experiences and views

This article presents midwives’ views and experiences of flexible working and work–life balance. Both flexible working and work–life balance are important contemporary agendas within midwifery and can have both positive and negative consequences for midwives. Full-time midwives and those without caring commitments feel disadvantaged by flexible working and work–life balance policies as they have to fit when they work around part-time midwives and are increasingly expected to cover extra work. They feel their work–life balance is marginalized and this is fuelling discontent and resentment among midwives and leading to divisions between full- and part-time staff that reinforce flexibility stigma. Although flexible working and work–life balance are important for recruiting and retaining midwives they are part of the ongoing tensions and challenges for midwives and the midwifery profession

A multiple timepoint pre-post evaluation of a ‘sexual respect’ dvd to improve competence in discussing sex with patients with disability

Sexual problems are common after chronic illnesses and disability, yet research indicates that this is a neglected area in healthcare services. Evaluation studies provide evidence of the effectiveness of education in enhancing professionals’ knowledge, skills, and comfort in addressing patients’ sexual concerns. However, there are limited evaluations aimed at improving ability to discuss sexuality when working with people with disabilities. The overall aim of this study was to evaluate a ‘Sexual Respect’ DVD as an intervention to improve competence in addressing ‘sexuality and disability’. A mixed methods design was used with both quantitative and qualitative components. Nursing students’ self-report ratings of knowledge, confidence, comfort and willingness (to discuss sexuality) levels were collected across four time points: baseline, pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up. Data were analysed using one-way repeated measures ANOVAs with post hoc comparisons. Open-ended qualitative comments relating to the barriers and facilitators to discussing sexuality were analysed using content analysis and subsequent frequency analysis. Reported barriers included lack of knowledge about sex¬uality and disability issues, the patient’s level of disability, and waiting for the patient to raise sexuality issues first. Facilitators included education/training, written information, and if the patient raised it first. Overall, the DVD intervention had a significant and positive impact on nursing students’ self-reported knowledge, confidence, comfort and willingness levels. The findings are discussed in relation to the PLISSIT model, which emphasises the importance of a proactive approach to addressing sexuality issues